Photo Guide
The simple guide to choosing the right photo
What works best?
- Pet facing the camera or slightly turned (clear view of eyes and face)
- Head, chest, and ears fully visible (not cropped)
- Sharp focus on the head (no motion blur)
- Natural lighting (outdoors or near a window)
- High resolution (not pixelated or compressed)
- Fur details clearly visible
- Camera at the pet’s eye level
Why this matters?
Blurry or low resolution photos make it hard to capture fur texture and facial details, so aim for a sharp, clear image. If your pet is too far away and looks small in the frame, important features get lost, and the final portrait will be less accurate.
Try to keep the full head, ears, and body visible, since cropped areas limit what can be included in the artwork. Strong shadows, harsh flash, or colored lighting can change the look of the fur and create unnatural contrast, and filters may remove or alter fine details. Also make sure nothing blocks the face, such as toys, hands, or a leash. Finally, skip extreme angles from above or below and avoid taking the photo too close, because both can distort your pet’s proportions.
What works best?
- Person facing the camera or slightly turned (clear view of the face)
- Eyes visible and in sharp focus (no motion blur)
- Head and shoulders fully visible (not cropped)
- Natural lighting (outdoors or near a window)
- High resolution (not pixelated or compressed)
- Natural skin tones (no heavy filters)
- Camera at eye level (flattering, accurate proportions)
Why this matters?
A sharp, well lit photo helps capture facial features accurately, including eyes, smile lines, and skin texture. When the subject is too far away, the face becomes small and details are lost, which makes a realistic portrait harder.
Cropped heads, cut-off hair, or missing shoulders limit composition options and can force awkward framing. Harsh flash, deep shadows, or colored lighting can change skin tone and create uneven contrast, while strong filters can smooth or reshape features.
Extreme angles from above or below, or photos taken too close, can distort proportions and make the face look different from real life.
What works best?
- Full house visible in the frame (roof, walls, and yard not cropped)
- Landscape photo for a wider view
- Straight-on or slightly angled view (no extreme tilt)
- Sharp focus and high resolution (no blur or pixelation)
- Even natural lighting (bright, but not harsh)
- Nothing blocking the house (no cars, people, bins, or large shadows)
- Minimal perspective distortion (step back instead of shooting too close)
Why this matters?
A full, clear view gives enough detail to recreate the house accurately, including lines, textures, windows, and landscaping.
Landscape framing and a straight or lightly angled perspective keep proportions realistic and prevent the house from looking stretched or warped.
Sharp focus and good resolution help capture clean edges and small details that make the artwork look true to the original.
Even natural lighting avoids harsh shadows, blown highlights, and color shifts that can hide features or change the look of the exterior. Keeping the view unobstructed ensures the final artwork highlights the home, without missing sections or distracting objects in front.
What works best?
- Scan the original photo on a flatbed scanner (preferred for highest quality)
- If using a phone, hold it parallel to the photo (no angle)
- Even, natural lighting with no glare, reflections, or shadows
- Entire photo visible, including edges and corners
- High resolution capture (sharp, readable details)
- Photo placed on a flat surface (no bends or wrinkles)
Why this matters?
A straight, high-resolution capture preserves the fine details needed for accurate restoration, including facial features, textures, and small elements that may be faded or damaged.
Professionally scanning the photo is preferred instead of photographing, because it prevents distortion, blur, and perspective issues that can make restoration harder or less precise.
Glare, shadows, or angled shots can hide important areas of the photo, while cropped edges may remove details that help reconstruct missing parts. The clearer and more complete the source image, the better the restored result will look.